Luchino Visconti ROCCO and HIS BROTHERS/ROCCO EI SUOI FRATELLI (1960), 177 Min
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September 19, 2017 (XXXV:4) Luchino Visconti ROCCO AND HIS BROTHERS/ROCCO EI SUOI FRATELLI (1960), 177 min. (The online version of this handout has color images.) Golden Globes, Italy 1961, Best Film and Best Director Directed by Luchino Visconti Written by Luchino Visconti, Suso Cecchi D'Amico, Vasco Pratolini (story); Suso Cecchi D'Amico, Pasquale Festa Campanile,Massimo Franciosa, Enrico Medioli, Luchino Visconti (screenplay); Giovanni Testori (inspired by episodes in the novel Il ponte della Ghisolfa) Produced by Goffredo Lombardo Music Nino Rota Cinematography Giuseppe Rotunno Film Editing Mario Serandrei Production Design Mario Garbuglia Cast Innocent). While he started as a director of plays and opera, Alain Delon…Rocco Parondi pursuits he would continue into his career, his entrée into film Renato Salvatori…Simone Parondi was working as an assistant director to Jean Renoir, to whom he Annie Girardot…Nadia was introduced by mutual friend Coco Chanel. After the war, Katina Paxinou…Rosaria Parondi Visconti established himself as an innovative director for the Alessandra Panaro…Ciro's fiancée stage, on one occasion having Salvador Dali design his sets for Spiros Focás…Vincenzo Parondi (as Spiros Focas) As You Like It. His film career was almost cut short in the 1940s Max Cartier…Ciro Parondi when Ossessione (1943), based on James M. Cain's The Postman Corrado Pani…Ivo Always Rings Twice, engendered the ire of Benito Mussolini's Rocco Vidolazzi…Luca Parondi censors. Visconti was thrown in jail and he was to be executed, Claudia Mori…Laundry Worker only surviving because of the timely arrival of American troops. Adriana Asti…Laundry Worker Ossessione was later hailed as an early example of Italian neo- Enzo Fiermonte…Boxer realism. Rocco and his Brothers may be Visconti’s most Nino Castelnuovo…Nino Rossi accessible and influential film: it’s impossible not to notice the Rosario Borelli…Un biscazziere similarities in Coppola’s Godfather films and Scorsese‘s Raging Renato Terra…Alfredo, Ginetta's brother Bull (1987), in particular. He wrote the screenplays or full stories Roger Hanin…Morini for almost all of his 20 directorial projects which include Paolo Stoppa…Cerri L'innocente (1976), Conversation Piece (1974), Ludwig (1973), Suzy Delair…Luisa Death in Venice (1969, screenplay), Alla ricerca di Tadzio (1970, Claudia Cardinale…Ginetta TV Short documentary), The Damned (1969), The Stranger (1967), The Witches (segment “La Strega bruciata viva”), Sandra Luchino Visconti (b. November 2, 1906 in Milan, Lombardy, (1965), The Leopard (1963), Boccaccio ‘70 (segment “Il Italy—d. March 17, 1976, age 69, in Rome, Lazio, Italy) was lavoro”), Le Notti Bianche (1957), Senso (1954), We, the Women born into one of Northern Italy's richest families as one of the (1953, segment “Anna Magnani”), Appunti su un fatto di Duke of Modrone's seven children. He was friends with opera cronaca (1953, Documentary short), Bellissima (1951), La Terra composer Puccini, conductor Toscanini, and writer Gabriele Trema (1948), Days of Glory (1945, Documentary) and D’Annunzio (who would write Visconti’s last film, The Ossessione (1943). Visconti—ROCCO AND HIS BROTHERSL—2 Nino Rota (b. Giovanni “Nino” Rota on December 3, 1911 in light, and I cannot stop. When I was shooting with Fellini, I was Milan, Lombardy, Italy—d. April 10, 1979, age 67, in Rome, always lighting the next shot, because I was afraid to lose the Lazio, Italy) was born into a family of musicians. Considered a idea of the light.” child prodigy, by the time he was a teenager Rota was a well- known composer and orchestra conductor. His first oratorio, Alain Delon (b. November 8, 1935 in Sceaux, Seine [now Hauts- “L'infanzia di San Giovanni Battista,” was performed in Milan de-Seine], Île-de-France, France) is often called the French and Paris as early as 1923 and his lyrical comedy, “Il Principe James Dean. While some may argue that this title is more Porcaro,” was composed in 1926. He briefly moved to the United appropriate for “cool” Breathless star Jean-Paul Belmondo, States to study under Fritz Reiner before returning to Italy to Delon’s brooding characters gave him an instant sexual appeal. teach. In 1937, he began a teaching career that led to the In addition, both actors famously refused to learn English, directorship of the Bari Conservatory, a thereby limiting their roles in title he held from 1950 until his death in Hollywood. Film scholar David 1979. Throughout the ‘40s and ‘50s, Thomson once describe Delon as “so Rota he branched into opera and by the earnest and immaculate as to be thought ‘60s he was scoring ballets. His work in lethal or potent. He was also close to the film dates to the early forties and the real French underworld. Delon is not so composer was known for the volume of much a good actor as an astonishing his output in a short amount of time. presence.” Initially, the French Averaging around 3 film scores per year, heartthrob wanted to be a butcher, like Rota is also said to have worked most his father. However, he mischievous ferociously in the period of 1949-54, nature often got the better of him and as where he would produce close to 10 film a child he was expelled six times from scores per year. His is most well-known different schools. Eventually, Delon movie scores are for Fellini’s films from enlisted as a soldier in the French army The White Sheik (1952) to Orchestra and served in in the war of Indochina, Rehearsal (1978), and especially the where he spent 11 months in prison, 1963 classic 8½. While latter film may appear to be in disorder, giving credence to the darkness exhibited by many of his Rota’s tracks helped synchronize the entire production. Other characters. Delon garnered his first Golden Globe nomination for directors the composer worked for include Renato Castellani, his turn as the headstrong nephew of Italian prince Burt Luchino Visconti, Franco Zeffirelli, Mario Monicelli, and Lancaster in Visconti’s celebrated The Leopard (1963), which Francis Ford Coppola. Rota’s score for the The Godfather (1973) increased Delon’s international visibility, leading to offers from earned him his first Oscar nomination for Best Original Score, a Hollywood. Save for the gritty neo-noir Once a Thief (1965), his prize he would win for his score in The Godfather: Part II Hollywood efforts were largely glossy, empty affairs like the all- (1974). He also composed the music for many theatre star Yellow Rolls-Royce (1965) and the truly dreadful Western productions by Visconti, Zefirelli, and de Filippo. comedy Texas Across the River (1966) with Dean Martin and Joey Bishop. He returned to France the following year to appear Giuseppe Rotunno (b. March 19, 1923 in Rome, Lazio, Italy) in his iconic role as an icy, meticulous hit man in Jean-Pierre has worked with some of the greatest names of the golden age of Melville’s New Wave cult favorite Le Samourai (1967). His Italian cinema, including Dino Risi, Vittorio De Sica, and carefully controlled performance as a moody loner who lived and Federico Fellini. Originally a still photographer, his entry into died by a strict code of personal conduct would come to film was operating the camera for legendary cinematographer dominate his screen persona, and Delon would play variations on G.R. Aldo. In 1955, Rotunno became a full-fledged lighting the role in subsequent films like Le Motocyclette (1968), which director and due to his versatility, became one of the most in- increased his standing among both French and international demand cinematographers. His work ranges from the epic, audiences. In 1969, Delon’s ascent to fame was severely operatic compositions of Visconti's The Leopard (1963) to the threatened by a scandal involving the murder of his former daguerreotype-influenced style of Monicelli's The Organizer bodyguard, Stefan Markovic. Investigations into the killing (1963). He has shot several of Fellini’s films as well as Mike unearthed links between the actor and numerous members of the Nichols’s Carnal Knowledge (1971), Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz European underworld, as well as scandalous connections to (1979) and Terry Gilliam’s The Adventures of Baron political figures. Delon was repeatedly held for questioning, but Munchausen (1989). Tonight’s film was shot with three cameras was eventually acquitted. However, many industry figures simultaneously, which Rotunno remembers, “For Visconti, this believed that his association with Markovic would ruin his system was ideal. But it was horribly complicated for me because career. To the surprise of many, Delon became even more there wasn't enough space on the set for the lights.” Speaking in popular with French moviegoers, who felt that his connections to an interview, the cinematographer points out that just as music criminal elements lent a note of veritas to his numerous gangster has only seven basic notes, cinematography has only three lights: roles. He quickly capitalized on the notoriety by starring in a “You've got the key light, fill light, and back light, out of which string of popular crime films, including The Sicilian Clan (1969) comes an infinity of results. The light is like a kaleidoscope, but and Borsolino (1970), which finally teamed him with Belmondo. those three lights mixed together are more touchy than the Delon then gave a critically acclaimed turn in Volker kaleidoscope. It's difficult to ask a painter, ‘How did you paint Schlondorffâ’s Swann in Love (1982) and finally earned a César the picture?’ I go with my eyes and intuition. I like so much to for Notre Histoire (1984). The actor was not present at the Visconti—ROCCO AND HIS BROTHERSL—3 awards ceremony and the presenter Coluche accepted the award short hair, and a warm deep voice was able to create an erotic on his behalf—which he kept.